Printing-press.



v PATENTED JUNE 16, 19 08. 0. G. HARRIS & W. H. SMITH.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLIOATIUN FILED JAN.3,1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R Wit" eooeo R No. 891,165. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908. U. G. HARRIS & W. H. SMITH.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1907.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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No. 891,165. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908. 0. G. HARRIS & W. H. SMITH.

PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.3,1907.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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I 20:2 in 1 a $3 L 1 i n I 1 11 Q I N I M it]: I i. awantow Witnesses W M I Mflmmw UNITED sTArris PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES GRANT HARRIS AND WALTER HAROLD SMITH, OF XILES, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE HARRIS AUTOUATIO PRESS UUMPANY, OF NILICS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PRINTING-PRESS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES G. HARRIs and WALTER H. SMITH, both of Niles, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Presses; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of printing presses employing a transfer-surface for imparting to the stock the design received from an inked form.

The primary object of this invention is to enable the transfer-member to be thrown out of printing relation to the form-member subsequent to and in consequence of the impression-member being moved out of printing relation to the transfer-member A further object is to enable the shifting of the two members to be effected automatically in the event of any interruption in the feed-supply; or manually at any time. And a further object is toenable the transfermember to be restored to printing relation to the form-member while the impressionmember remains out of printing relation to the transfer-member; and also to allow the transfer-member to be again thrown out of printing relation to the form-member before the impression-member is thrown on. And a further object is to avoid all rubbing or injurious frictional engagement between the transfer-cylinder and the impression-cylinder in throwing off and on.

The invention will be hereinafter fully, set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, with the several cylinders in printing relation to each other, Fig. 2 is a similar view with the impression-cylinder and the transfer-cylinder thrown off. Fig. 3 is a side view, with certainparts diagrammatically illustrated. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, with partsin section, of the trip and its adjuncts. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the trip of the transfer-cylimler. portions of such cylinder and the formc -*linder being broken away. Fig. 7 is a front view of the trip of the impression-eylinder showing the throw-off shaft for the latter and a portion of such cylinder.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed January 3, 1907. Serial No. 350,671,

' Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the form-carrying cylinder; 2 the transfercylinder having the usual rubber blanket 3 and 4 the impression-cylinder. The latter is mounted in eccentric bearings 5 after the manner indicated by Letters Patent of the United States No. 577,405, such bearings being connected to a spring-actuated shaft (5 normally restrained by a trip 7 which is automatically released by a trip-arm 8 in the event of stock not being in position to prevent sueh trip-arm engaging the trip 7, as clearly pointed outin Letters Patent No. 676,241. The feed-rolls are conventionally indicated at 9 and are intended to impart to the stock an accelerated movement greater than the face speed of the impression-cylinder, as covered by Letters Patent of the United States No. 577,299. The trip-arm 8 is carried by the upper feed-rolls.

Beneath the toe of trip 7 lies an arm 10 of a shaft 12 supported at one side of the press by a bracket 13 and at its inner end by, an arm 14 secured toa collar 15 of a l racket to which the trip 7- is fulcrumed. By means of a handle 16 the shaft 12 may be manually turned to disengage the trip from shaft 6 and effectthe throw-off of the impression-cylinder. By connecting handle 16 by a cord or chain 17 to a cranklS of a shaft 19, located at the base of the press, the trip may be released by foot-p ressure on foot-tr'eadle 20, of shaft 19, thus enabling an attendant to operate the throw-off from either side of the machine. It will be understood that this may be accomplished by means different from what is shown and described, and also that the shaft 19 is du licated on the other side of the press, both s afts being connected to act in unison.

It is contem lated by our invention that the transfer-0y inder shall be thrown out of printing relation to the form-cylinder when the impression-cylinder is thrown out of its normal position relative to the transfercylinder. This may be accomplished in several ways, but the means shown will serve as an illustration, the invention not being confined to any particular mechanism for accom lishing the desired result. According to tie means shown, the transfer-cylimler, like the impression-cylinder, is mounted in eccentric bearings 21 connected to a springactuated shaft 22 normally restrained by a trip 23 similar to the trip 7; but while the latter is located about in line with the transverse center of the cylinders the former is preferably adjacent to one end of the transfer-cylinder, as shown in Fig. 6. This trip 23 is normally held by a spring 24 in engage ment with a shouldered collar 25 on shaft 22, and is automatically released by a trip-arm 26 extended forward of the axis of the transfer-cylinder and connected toa bell-crank 27, which latter is connected by a rod'28 to a bell-crank 29 on the spring-actuated shaft 6. The eccentric-bearings of the impressioncylinder are connected to shaft 6 through this bell-crank 29. The tri arm 26 will dis-- engage trip 23 when ulle forward bythe partial turning of sha t 6, and this is intendcd' to occur as the lower or impression-cylinder has dropped almost the full distance. For this purpose the rear end of trip-arm 26 is carried above the tri and formed on its underside with a shoul er 30, which rests on a flat late 31 mounted on a casting 32 supporte by tie rod 32*, said late having opposite inclines 33 whereon t e beveled laterals gagement with trip 23.

34 of said arm ride upwardly to disengage shoulder from the trip after the' latter has been turned on its pivot. The eccentricbearings of the im ression-cylinder will have turned almost their full limit before the triparm 26 releases trip 23 and permits the lowering of the transfer-cylinder by the upward movement of the arms of its eccentric bearing. (See Fig. 2.) In their normal positions the arms of these bearings rest against stops 35 for holding them and the transfer-cylinder rigid while the impression is being made on the aper. These stops are shownin the form 0 adjustable screws working in lugs 36 on the main frame.

The transfer-cylinder is restored to its normal positio by the upward movement of a handle or lev r 37 acting on a link 38 connected to an arm 39 fast on shaft 22, the turning of which latter replaces the collar 25 in en- The handle 37 carries a pin 40 projecting into a slot of said link, so that when not in use the handle will hang out of the way, and when the transfercylinder is thrown off link 38 is free to move lengthwise without affecting said handle. If, after restoring the transfer-cylinder in printin relation with the form-cylinder, as

or wor ing-up the ink or water, it be' desired to again throw off such cylinder before the impression-c linder is thrown on, the operator moves ownwardly a short distance a handle 41 on shaft 6, sufficient to throw the shoulder 30 of trip-arm 26 immediately in rear of trip 23, (see Fig. 5) and then reverses the movement of said handle, causing the disengagement of the trip and the re-lowering of the transfer-cylinder.

To throw both cylinders into their. normal positions, shaft 22 is first turned, by handle 37 acting on link 38, until held by trip 23,

and then shaft 6 is turned, by handle 4], until retained by trip 7.

By the described arrangement it is impossible to throw-0E the impression-cylinder without also throwing off the transfer-cylinder. The axes of the several cylinders are out of line, and the arrangement of the eccentric bearings is such that the impressioncylinder in being thrown-off moves downwardly and slightly forward away from the transfer-cylinder, which in turn moves downwardly and slightly rearward with respect to the form-cylinder. By thus moving both cylinders in op osite directions, and each away from the p ane of the axis of the other, all rubbing or injurious frictional engagement is avoided. We regard it as highly essential to a successful machine that the impression-cylinder should be almost or entirely in its lowermost position before the transfer-cylinder starts to move out of printing relation to the form-cylinder.

According to the resent invention, both the impression-cylin er and the transfer-cylinder are mounted at their ends in eccentric bearings, connected to, and designed to be operated by, their spring actuated shafts after the manner of actuating the impressioncylinder alone as embraced by Letters Patent No. 577,405.

It will be understood that suitable inking and water rolls are employed for the formcylinder.

We claim as our invention:

. 1. 'In a printing press having a form-carrying cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, and an impression-cylinder, means for successively throwing the impression-cylinder out of printing relation to the transfer-cylinder and the transfer-cylinder out of printing relation to the form-cylinder.

2. In a printing press having a form-carrying member, a transfer-member, and an imimpression-member out of printing relation to the transfer-member, and separate means constructed and arranged to be actuated subsequent to the throw-off of the impression member for throwing the transfer member 3. In a printing press having a form-carrying member, a transfermember, and an im 'pression-member, means for throwing the impression-member-out of printing relation to the transfer-member, and separate means actuated by the movement of the last men'- tioned means for throwing the transfermember out of printing relation to the formmember.

4. In a printing press having a form-carrying member, a transfer-member, and an impression-member, means for automatically throwing the impression-member out of printing relation to the transfer-member, and means actuated by the movement of the out of printing relation to the formmember.

pressionrnember, means for throwing the-- last mentioned means for throwing the transfer-member out of printing relation to the form-member.

5. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, and an impressioncylinder, means for throwing-off theimpression-cylinder with relation to the transfercylinder and means for throwing off the latter with relation to the form-cylinder, the throw-ofi means of the impression-cylinder being actuated in advance of the throw-off means of the transfer-cylinder.

' 6. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, and an impressioncylinder, means for throwing-off the impression-cylinder with relation .to the transfercylinder, and se arate means actuated by the movement of the last-mentioned means for throwing off the transfer-cylinder with relation to the form-cylinder.

7. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, and an impressioncylinder, means for throwing off the impression-cylinder, means for throwing-off the transfer-cylinder, and means for actuating the latter as the impression-cylinder is moved out of its normal position.

8. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, and 'an impressioncylinder, means for throwing-off the impression-cylinder, means for throwing-off the transfer-cylinder, and means actuated by the throw-off means of the im ression-cylinder for releasing said throw-o means of the transfer-cylinder.

9. In a printing press having a form cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, and an impressioncylinder, eccentric bearings for the impresslon-cylinder, eccentric bearings for the transfer-cylinder, means tending to turn such bearings so as to throw-off the impression cylinder and the transfer-cylinder, and means for releasing such latter means.

10. In a printin press having a-form-cyl inder, a transfer-cy inder, and an impressioncylinder, eccentric bearings for the impression-cylinder, eccentric bearings for the transfer-cylinder, means tending to turn such bearings so as to throw-off the impressioncylinder and the transfer-cylinder, and means for automatically releasing such latter means.

11. In a printin press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-0y inder, and an impressioncylinder, eccentric bearings for the impression-cylinder, eccentric bearings for the transfer-cylinder, means tending to turn such bearings so as to throw-off the impressioncylinder and the transfer-cylinder, and means for automatically releasing such latter means in the event of any interruption in the feedsupply.

12. In a printin press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-0y inder, and an impressioncylinder, with their axes out of line, eccentric bearings for the impression-cylinder, and

eccentric bearings for the transfer-cylinder, means for turning such bearings so as to throw such cylinders downwardly and laterally in opposite directions.

13. In a printin press having a form-cyL inder, a transfer-0y inder, and an impressioncylinder, throw-0H mechanism for the impression-cylinder, throw-off mechanism for the transfer-cylinder, means connecting such mechanisms whereby the actuation of the throw-off mechanism of the impression-cylinder will efiect the actuation of the throwoff mechanism of the transfer-cylinder, and means for throwing on the transfer-cylinder while the impression-cylinder remains off.

,14. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, and an impressioncylinder, throw-off mechanism for the impressionecylinde-r, throw-off mechanism for the transfer-cylinder, means connecting such mechanisms whereby the actuation of the throw-off mechanism of the impression-cylinder will efiect the actuation of the throwoff mechanism of the transfer-cylinder, means for throwing on the transfer-cylinder, and means for re-throwing-ofi' such'cylinder while the im ression-cylinder remains off.

15. n a printing pre'ss having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, an impressioncylinder, eccentric-bearings for the transfercylinder, and eccentric-bearings for the impression-cylinder, means tending to normally turn said bearings so as to move the im ression cylinder away from the transfercy inder, and the latter away from the formcylinder, said means comprising spring-impelled shafts to which the eccentric bearings of such cylinders are connected, trips for normally restraining such shafts, and means for actuating such trips.

16. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, an impressioncylinder, eccentric-bearings for the transfercylinder, and eccentric-bearings for the impression-cylinder, means tending to normally turn said bearings so as to move the im ression-cylinder away from the transfer 2 cy inder, and the latter away from the formcylinder, said means comprising spring-mp pelled shafts to which the eccentric bearings of such cylinders are connected, trips for normally restraining such shafts, and means for actuating first the impression-cylinder trip and then the transfer-cylinder trip.

.17. In a printin press having aform-cylinder, a transfer-cy inder, an im ression-cylinder, eccentric-bearings for t e transfercylinder, and eccentric-bearings for the impression-cylinder, means tending to normally turn said bearings so as to move the impression-cylinder away from the transfer-cylinder, and the latter away from the form-cylinder, said means comprising spring-impelled shafts to which the eccentric-bearings of such cylinders are connected, trips for normally reactuate the impression-cydinder trip in the event of any irregularity in the feed to the press, and a second device, for actuating the transfer-cylinder trip, operated by the throwoff of the impression-cylinder.

19. In a printing press having a plurality of cylinders, and means for throwing such cylinders out of printing relation, comprising eccentric-bearings for one such cylinder, a spring-impelled shaft to which such bearings are connected, a trip for normally restraining such shaft, and manually-operable means adjacent to the base of the press and capable of actuating said trip to release said shaft.

, 20. In a printing press having aform-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, an impression-cylinder, eccentric bearings for the transfer-cylinder, and eccentric bearings for the impressioncylinder, spring-impelled shafts to which the ecccentric bearings of such cylinders are connected, trips for normally restraining such shafts, means for releasing'said trips, and manually-operable means at the side of the press for actuating the last-mentioned means.

21. In a printing press having a formcylinder, a transfer-cylinder, an impression-cylinder, eccentric-bearings for the transfercylinder, and eccentric-bearings for the impression-cylinder, spring-impelled shafts to which the eccentric bearings of such cylinders are connected, trips for normally restraining such shafts, a shaft having an arm for en' aging the impression-cylinder trip,

manualy-operable means adjacent to the base of the press and connected to said lastmentioned shaft, and means for actuating the transfer-cylinder trip in the event of the throw-off of the impression-cylinder.

22. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, an im ression-cylinder, eccentric-bearings for t e transfercylinder, and eccentric-bearin s for the impression-cylinder, spring-impelled shafts to which the eccentric bearings of such cylinders are connected, trips for normally restraining such shafts, a manually-operable shaft having anarm for disengaging the impression-cylinder trip, a device for disengaging the transfer-cylinder trip when the springimpelled shaft of the impression-cylinder is actuated, and a crank-shaft adjacent to the base of the press connected to said manuallyoperable shaft, said crank-shaft having a treadle.

23. In a printing press having a form-cylinder, a transfer-cylinder, an impressioncylinder, eccentric-bearings for the transfercylinder, and eccentric-bearings for the impression-cylinder, spring-impelled shafts to which the-eccentric bearings of such cylinders are connected, trips for normally restraining such shafts, a trip-arm having a shoulder for engaging and releasing the transfer-cylinder trip, a connection between said trip-arm and the spring-impelled shaft of the impression-cylinder, means for disengaging the trip-arm from the transfer-cylinder trip after such cylinder has been turned on its bearings, and means for placing the springimpelled shaft of the transfer-cylinder in reengagement with its trip While the springimpelled shaft of the impression-cylinder is free of its trip.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES GRANT HARRIS. WALTER HAROLD SMITH.

Witnesses:

J. C. FRYE, H. A. PORTER. 

